Coast Guard crews medevac man 275 miles off Myrtle Beach, S.C.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Coast Guard air crews from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., flew nearly 500 miles from their home base to medically evacuate a cargo ship crewmember who fell 9-12 feet down stairs on the ship Wednesday morning about 275 miles southeast of Myrtle Beach.

The crew of the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship Levante called Coast Guard watchstanders at Marine Safety Unit Wilmington, N.C., stating a 40-year-old crewmember was injured after falling and required medical attention for internal bleeding and other injuries.

Watchstanders from Sector North Carolina and the 5th District headquarters in Portsmouth, Va., consulted with a Coast Guard flight surgeon, who recommended immediate medevac.

An HC-130J Hercules airplane crew from the air station launched to provide cover and serve as a communications platform between the MH-60T helicopter and search and rescue coordinators. After a stop in Wilmington to refuel, the aircraft flew offshore to recover the injured crewmember.

The helicopter crew transported the ailing crewmember to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. After treatment, he plans to return to the Philippines.